by Valletta and Birkirkara will be initiating the third round of the Assikura Women’s League this evening, and the final weekend for the calendar year at the Centenary Stadium (KO 20:15). Anton Cremona lamented slow starts which have hampered the team’s ability to grow in matches, while Charlene Zammit is looking for the team to consolidate its football following last week’s win.
A Horrible Start & A Patient Victory
The Citizens will be welcoming the Stripes for this calendar year’s final match as the two initiate the third round of the Assikura Women’s League this evening.
Valletta head into it following another tough defeat to Swieqi United, with the side conceding twice inside the first ten minutes in rather cheaply defended situations. Even more so, the team was unable to respond in any way against a heavily rotated Swieqi United.
Anton Cremona was critical of the start from the team, “We could have avoided silly mistakes in the beginning of the match. It became even tougher than it already was within the opening ten minutes and then the moral drops significantly. We are continuing to make the same mistake that we concede too early.”
Meanwhile, Birkirkara hit the ground running against San Gwann, earning control of possession early on. However, the team had to be patient to find the winning ticket, with the first goal arriving inside the final twenty minutes.
Questioned about this latency and whether she was happy to get the result or if she expects the team to do more with opportunities, Charlene Zammit weighed in, “Our possession could have been more effective, as a number of individual first-touch errors disrupted our attacking rhythm. However, the team remained patient and continued to look for opportunities to play through the lines and break the opposition structure.”
Consistency & Experience
The teams will be heading into their third league battle this season. Birkirkara secured big wins against the Citizens on both previous occasions. Although Birkirkara has experience in its ranks, there is also a lot of young potential. Equally so, Valletta have invested in leading players, such as their captain Joelma Alves Gabriel, as well as Eliza Csik and Shakira Bugeja, all of whom would be expected to lead the side forward amid a younger group.
Questioned whether he feels that his team can find its stronger players to lead against the Stripes, Valletta’s Anton Cremona replied, “Birkirkara have experience in their ranks, but I believe that avoiding goals early on will change things for us significantly.”
Meanwhile, Charlene Zammit confirmed that the team will continue to be without the service of Mariah Cardona, “Mariah’s absence will be felt, particularly in wide attacking areas. Her intensity, pace, and willingness to take on defenders in one-on-one situations are key to how we stretch the opposition and progress into the final third. Without her direct dribbling and threat in the box, we’ll need to be more deliberate in how we create width and attacking momentum.”
However, having spoken about wanting to build consistency in the team’s performances, Zammit is looking for the team to build on last week’s exploits tonight, though keeping cards closed to the chest on selection, “Certainly every game is important to keep building from the last one. It’s about confidence, discipline, and working as a unit, whether we stick with the same players or make small changes.
The two teams will kick-off proceedings at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15.
Lead Image: Elise Bajada
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